June 17, 2025
Dear Supervisors:
We write on behalf of a broad coalition of residents, small businesses, and policy advocates to express our strong opposition to the proposed designation of Hayes Valley as an Entertainment Zone. This amendment was introduced without public notice, without a management plan, and without proper departmental review. The people most impacted — the residents and storefront operators of Hayes Valley who were not consulted. Instead, a small nonprofit claiming to represent the broader community was allowed to help draft the policy behind closed doors when in fact, it reflects the interests of a select few who are actively trying to reshape the neighborhood to serve their own agenda. This is not how citywide legislation should be made. And it is certainly not how equitable, accountable governance is practiced.
What’s at Stake
The proposed Entertainment Zone would reclassify over 20 blocks of Hayes Valley — the majority of them within a high-density residential core. This neighborhood is already grappling with:
- Drug spillover from Civic Center and Market
- Inconsistent and delayed police response
- Sidewalk encampments and ongoing vandalism
- Shrinking retail foot traffic and post-pandemic business fragility
This amendment does nothing to address these problems. Instead, it codifies contested weekend street closures (which many of us have long opposed), expands open-container alcohol access, and promotes amplified entertainment all without meaningful oversight, transparency, or community support.
Who Benefits & Who’s Left Behind
The only parties promoting this plan are those who profit from nightlife and closure events. Markets, retailers, and service providers were excluded from the conversation. Many have already opted out of local events due to noise, disorder, and declining sales. Let’s be honest: this ordinance pits hospitality against retail and risks destabilizing a neighborhood economy that’s already stretched thin.
Our Requests
- Remove Hayes Valley from this ordinance
- Reject policy crafted behind closed doors
Let’s also be clear about enforcement: the current 400 block permit holder has failed to meet basic compliance, from unmonitored barricades and unauthorized advertising to event programming that directly competes with neighboring leaseholders. These actions have caused documented financial harm. Despite formal complaints and documented patterns of noncompliance, the City has failed to enforce its own permit conditions. To codify this legislation under such circumstances would not only reward ongoing violations, it would erode regulatory integrity and set a dangerous precedent for future policymaking. That is indefensible.
This is not revitalization. It’s political expediency — at the community’s expense.
Hayes Valley is not a blank slate. It’s a lived-in, interdependent neighborhood with a thriving retail corridor that deserves restoration, not removal. We already have underutilized open spaces nearby. There’s no justification for closing a key business artery simply to promote drinking and entertainment. Reopen Hayes Street. Don’t sacrifice it to a nightlife agenda that disregards those who live and work here.We urge you to vote NO on this ordinance. Listen to those who have called this place home, who have invested in its storefronts, and who believe in a livable, local-serving future — not a party zone model better suited for Union Square or other commercial districts.
Sincerely,
HVSafe